BY THE ANCIENT HINDUS. 



185 



Madras Government Museum are shown three bumarangs, 

 two ivory ones, which came from the armoury of the late 

 Kaja of Tan j ore, and a common wooden one, which hails 

 from Pudukota. The wood of which the buma.rang is made 

 is very dark. I possess four black wooden and one iron 

 bumarang, which I have received from Pudukota. In the 

 arsenal of the Pudukota Eaja is always kept a stock of 

 these sticks. Their name in Tamil is valai tadi (a;cW py.) 

 bent stick, as the stick is bent and flat. When thrown a 

 whirling motion is imparted to the weapon which causes it to 

 return to the place from which it was thrown. The natives 

 are well acquainted with this peculiar fact. The length of 

 the dstara or bumarang is not always exactly the same, the 

 difference amounts often to more than one cubit, 



8. The kunta (lance) has an iron body, a sharp top, and 

 six edges. It is six or ten cubits high, and is round at the 

 foot end. It is handled in six ways. 38 



9. The sthuna (anvil) has a red body and many knots 

 standing near to each other ; it is as high as a man, and 

 straight. It is whirled and fells the enemy to the ground. 39 



10. The prdsa (spear) is seven cubits long and made of 

 bamboo, which is colored red. It has a head made of metal, 

 and is sharp at the foot end ; it is adorned with silken tufts. 

 Four movements are prescribed for it. In the Sukraniti it 

 resembles a broad sword. 40 



See Ibidem, II. 19 ; V. 22, 23. 



22. Kuntastvayomayangassyat tlksnasrngah eadasrman 

 pancahastasamutsedho vrttapado bhayankarah. 



23. Uddlnam avadmam ca nidmani bhumillnakam 

 tiryaglinam nikhatam ca sadmargah kuntam asritah 



Compare Sukraniti, Chapter V, si. 155. 

 39 See Ibidem, II. 20 ; V. 24. 



24. Sthunastu raktadehassyat samipadrdhaparvakah. 

 pumpramana rjustasmin bhramanam patanam dvayam, 



4° See Ibidem, II. 20 ; V. 25, 26. 



25. Prasastu saptahastassyat aunnatyena tu vainavah 

 lohasirsastlksnapadab. kaiiseyastabakailcitah, 



24 



